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Baidu (BIDU) is far ahead of Google (GOOG) in the Chinese search engine sector, with over 70 percent of the domestic search market versus just 27 percent for Google. In the mobile search department, however, the two companies are just about tied, with 26 percent of the market each.
Now, reports are showing that Baidu plans to fight back on the cellphone frontier by launching a competitor to Google's hugely popular Android mobile operating system. This represents a huge potential market, with 223 million mobile internet users in China at the beginning of 2010 and a projected 957 million by the end of 2014.
Google's struggle with Baidu has been complicated by the fact that the Mountain View, California-based company has repeatedly clashed with the Chinese government over censorship issues, and the company was in danger of having its operating license revoked.
The government has not been particularly subtle about its desire to see Baidu succeed over its American rival, either, and the Chinese company has no qualms about keeping its searches behind "The Great Firewall of China."
Apparently, the Baidu mobile OS is being developed by former Google employees who split after Google tried to end its self-censorship. In the end, Google stopped redirecting users in mainland China to its uncensored Hong Kong portal after China threatened to pull the plug on the company.
Baidu looking to follow Google success in mobile OS market
Baidu (BIDU) is far ahead of Google (GOOG) in the Chinese search engine sector, with over 70 percent of the domestic search market versus just 27 percent for Google. In the mobile search department, however, the two companies are just about tied, with 26 percent of the market each.Now, reports are showing that Baidu plans to fight back on the cellphone frontier by launching a competitor to Google's hugely popular Android mobile operating system. This represents a huge potential market, with 223 million mobile internet users in China at the beginning of 2010 and a projected 957 million by the end of 2014.
Google's struggle with Baidu has been complicated by the fact that the Mountain View, California-based company has repeatedly clashed with the Chinese government over censorship issues, and the company was in danger of having its operating license revoked.
The government has not been particularly subtle about its desire to see Baidu succeed over its American rival, either, and the Chinese company has no qualms about keeping its searches behind "The Great Firewall of China."
Apparently, the Baidu mobile OS is being developed by former Google employees who split after Google tried to end its self-censorship. In the end, Google stopped redirecting users in mainland China to its uncensored Hong Kong portal after China threatened to pull the plug on the company.
